Nathan Evolves

Two pieces of baby news:  Nathan can recognize patterns, and Nathan can interact with inanimate objects.

For weeks now, Nathan has been able to recognize inanimate objects like his mobile, as long as they do the moving for him.  When I tried to put a toy in his hand, he still didn't get it.  In an attempt to get him to progress, I've been showing him my grandpa's gold tie clip, because (a) it's small enough to fit in his hand, (b) it's big enough that he won't swallow it, (c) it doesn't have any sharp edges, and (d) Nathan likes bright, shiny objects.  For the last week, his face would light up whenever I showed him the tie clip, but only if I held it.  A few days ago, he started reaching for it, but doesn't really know how to grab things yet.  Day before yesterday, he put his hand near the tie clip and I moved it slightly so he could grab it.  He looked at it and realize that he was now holding the thing he wanted.  It was awesome.  He held onto that tie clip all the way through feeding time.

Also, for weeks I've tried playing a typical baby game where I wiggle my fingers in front of him, and then bop him gently on the nose.  Previously he just looked at me like I was crazy (what can I say, he's a perceptive kid).  But yesterday, he figured out what I was doing, and grinned in anticipation whenever I was about to bop him on the nose.

Also, Yelena & I always change his diaper BEFORE feedings, not after.  This way he gets used to falling asleep with a poopy diaper; otherwise he'd never do it.  Also this way we don't go through two dozen diapers a day.  Anyway he's been going through this pattern for three months now but was always fussy during changing because he was hungry and didn't understand why he wasn't being fed.  The past week or so, he sat through his changings happily, even smiling at me.  Yesterday he was fussy and Yelena thought it was because he had a wet diaper, so she changed him.  He calmed down as soon as she started changing him, but when she put him back in the basinette he started crying again.  He knew that after changing, he was supposed to be fed!  In other words, he recognized the pattern.

He's also gotten way more sociable and his personality is starting to develop.  From what I can see so far, he's a very earnest guy who wants to observe and know what's going on.  He's also very friendly and quick to offer a wide smile.

I'd say he's doing well.

J<

(No, still no new pictures.  I'm slowly making my way through my backlog, be patient.  Turns out being a stay-at-home dad is very time consuming.)